, 1887-05-19
ANTICS OF AN APE.
Trying to Catch n Stray Monkey in
pnrI.-A nnn..inn az nmna.ahIn

- -H'H~A'H Va
Poc's tragic talc Of f'le murtlerous an
tics OF al ape in PaT.s has just found a
comical counterpart. Oddly enough, both
dramas were enacted in the canc locality,
that is to say, not far from the morgue.
A bevY Of newly enlisted conscripts, with
painted pictures on their hats, were
crossing the Point Ncuf, arm in arm,
keeping step to the music of the ''Marsel-
laise " when suddenly they saw a small
but nimble monkey leaping and bound
ing in front of them, making a ziEzag
course, from n side of the bridge to
the other, frightened at the water on
either hand, and too beaddled in mind to
think of making a straight and swift es-
cape to the end of the bridge. and thence
TO his home. Inc young coiIseTiPts, sor-
getting their country and its national
song, gave a scream of delight, broke
ranks and gave instant chasa after the
lively little beast. The raw recruits, UNI
dlciplined yet eager for action. performed
prodigieS OF yaior III running against and
knocking a another down, and whisk-
ing of one another's picture covered
hats, but no n of the hunters caught
the monkey. He lodged deity between
the collective legs of the whole battalion,
n was as brisk in his 'new departures
as the Irishman's flea. Soon the melee,
Like a travelling gust of wind, was trans
ferred from the bridge to the adjoining
quai de Ia meggisserie. Here the nuner
GUS passers by, on seeing the fun, at once
joined in it, adding to the baifled military
force q fresh civil reserve, The spectacle
was exhilarating. The crowd became
dense, and everybody was soon stupidity
looking down and around, here and
there. expecting the monkey to be found
under somebody's feet.
"Poor thing, he will probably be
trampled to DEATH" exclaimed some
humane voices.
But this apprehension was o put at
rest. A hundred merry threats sud
denly burst into a ringing cheer. Had
the monkey been caught Mol He was
farther than ever from such an igno-
minious fate-he had climbed a treei
Look at the little brute, said n stout
gentleman, who had a legal portfolio
under his arm, show he is grinning at
usl showing contempt to the court and
jury"
Two or three ragamuffins, veritable
gamins, then climbed the monkeys tree,
almost as nimbly as if they had been
monkeys themselves. Did they get
their hands upon their Simian brotheri
Not at ALI He hoped from branch to
branch, and, on being holly pressed,
mado a final and splendid jump-better
than anything done on the trapeze at the
hippodrome-landing himself safely on
tho next tree. Tho gamins were badly
laughed at. Nothing so ill succeeds as
i'll success, as ~Talleyrand might have OBJ
served. But h gamins were not to be
disconnected by a laugh nor outwitted
by an ape. The young rogues attacked
the next tree, and the next, until the
monkey, having no more trees to leap
into, skipped ut last to the only remain
ing refuge, which was the top of a lamp
post. On his low pinnacle of evident
danger his chances of maintaining his
liberty and life might have been small,
except for the op|portune interference of
a tall policeman, who said:
"Stand Off, boys, 1 will reach up and
talso him down, quietly"
W~hereupon the gentle giant out
stretched his long right arm, and grazed
the willing captive, who showed mani
fest signs of relief at thus receiving the
protection of the law.
Was the sport now over? Certainly
not. 1t was, in fact, rebegun..
"Who. is the owner of this ANIMAL
Let him step forth and claim his pro-
perty." said the officer, magisterially.
The monkey is mine" replied a whis.
kered young man, with unkempt hair
and an unCanny look.
mo; he is mine, -" replied a small boy,
smaller even than any of the gamina
who had climbed the trees.
you are a little liar" rejoined the
unkempt man.
"You are a big thief" retorted the
courageous lad.
In two minutes the popular interest in
this dispute grew to a fever heat. There
was something in the honest, scared, tear.
full look of the little boy that excited the
sympathy of h bystanders. A police
man is, of all men, pre-eminently sus-
picious. The policeman who held the
monkey gave a searching and suspicious
look at the grizzly whiskerando who stood
as claimant.
"Give the monkey to the little boy"
cried several voices in the crowd.
mot without evidence" replied the
officer. 80, now, my little man, can
you prove to me that this monkey is
yours?''
Eyes, l cam" cried the boy trium-
phantly; ''this is a he monkey, and ]
have his wife in my pocket!'
Whereupon, to the establishment and
delight of the %applauding crowd, the lad
drew forth from his pocket a tiny pet fe-
male monkey, the animal which the
French call the guenon, The evidence
wa complete, and, as the French journ-
alists say, 1.-THE incident was closed."-
Kansas City Journal.